マイチューターのTOEFL対策コラム

▮　リスニング力をつける効果的学習法！

 TOEFL ライティング総合問題（Integrated Task)では、パッセージを読んだ後、

レクチャーを約2分聴いた後で、レクチャーの内容を要約することと、

それがどうのようにパッセージの内容と関連しているか（多くは異なる観点）を

ライティングで表現するテストです。　　読解力同様、リスニング力が問われます。　　

リスニング力は、ただひたすら英語を聞き流すだけでは上達しません。

いくつかのことに気を付けて英語を聴くことで飛躍的にリスニング力はアップします。

リスニングが苦手な方は、以下のことに注意して学習をしてください。

1. Practice listening to different kinds of materials in English everyday. Listen to short audio clips first and gradually increase the length of audio materials you listen to.
2. Avoid distractions and always listen actively.
3. Try to answer the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” questions about the topic. Carefully think about the speaker’s purpose of the lecture.
4.Pay attention to the difference between the main ideas and details presented. Be mindful of details like facts, examples, or opinions presented.
5. Learn to recognize different styles of organization such as theory and evidence, cause and effect, steps of a process, and comparison of two things.
6. Take down notes while listening so that you can gather important details, relevant points, and new expressions or vocabularies. Write down only the information that you hear. Do not attempt to interpret anything based on your personal understanding or knowledge of the topic.
7. Listen to keywords or signal words like the following:
Opinion (I think, It appears that, It is thought that)
theory (In theory)
inference (therefore, then)
negatives (not, words that begin with “un,” “non,” “dis” “a”)
fillers (non-essential information) (uh, er, um)
reasons (because, since)
results (as a result, so, therefore, thus, consequently)
examples (for example, such as)
comparisons (in contrast, than)
an opposing idea (on the other hand, however)
another idea (furthermore, moreover, besides)
a similar idea (similarly, likewise)
restatements of information (in other words, that is)
conclusions (in conclusion, in summary)
8. Pay attention to pacing, intonation and other ways that speakers indicate that information is important like repeatition of information, paraphrasing of sentences, or stressing of words.
9. After each listening activity, write a short summary on the topic explaining the main idea and what the speaker is trying to say.
10. Listen to the same audio clip and review your notes and summary. Change or add more details if necessary.
11. Use different sources of English listening materials: News, Audio Books, Television Programs, Movies, Music, etc.
12. You can also go to these websites for listening practice:
*National Public Radio (www.npr.org)
*CBS News (www.cbsnews.com)
*Randall’s Cyber Listening Lab (www.esl-lab.com)
*BBC World Service.com Learning English (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish)
13. Exchange conversations with an English speaker. It will help improve your ability to comprehend and quickly respond.
14. Attend academic lectures, presentations, or gatherings in English.
15. Make it a hobby to be an attentive listener. Practice, practice, practice!

Good luck!

IELTS READING TARGET BAND, 8
Written/Edited by Shanti Esther A. Bonachita
 

 

To hit a band score of 8 and up, one must  get at least 35 right answers out of the 40 questions. In IELTS reading section focusing on the time is always vital. Here are some tips you need to remember when taking the Reading section.
 
First of all, you must know how to begin. Always go through the text and gain a good understanding about the main idea of the passage. Then, read the questions carefully at least twice until you understand what it is asked. To get efficient answers, it is wise to identify which questions belong to which paragraphs. Also, you can write a note for each paragraph that will serve as your guide to the questions you need to answer. This will help you save time to search for important points and answer them easier.
 
Second of all, you must know how to deal with difficult questions. In situation like this, it is best to leave and turn to other sections and fill out the blanks. Once you finish the easy questions, you can get back to the difficult ones and try to concentrate,think clearly and focus to the question/s.
 
Thirdly, guessing can help even if you think that your answer/s are incorrect. Since wrong answers are not counted to your points, there is still a probability that answers you think are not “sure” can still be right.
 
Lastly, do not re-think of your answers. There are times when taking the test, takers dwell too much on the questions that are already answered  and change them because they think it is not right. First answers can be correct but chances are that  the wrongs ones can be chosen if you rethink your answers.  However, like in all sections, it’s always best to review and read through the answers especially when there is more time left to do it.
 
 
QUESTION:
 
1. In which country does  require IELTS for immigration purposes?
 
a. USA
b. Ireland
c. New Zealand
 

IELTS READING TARGET BAND, 7
Written/Edited by: Shanti Esther 
オンライン英会話　　マイチューター
 

▮　バンドスコア　7  を狙うには　！

IELTSリーディングセクションで　バンドスコア　「7」　を狙うには、とにかく様々なジャンルの論説、文章を毎日読むことです。
十分な単語を覚え、文法にも気を使いながら読み進めてください。
数多くの書物を毎日読むうえで、注意すべきはそのスピードです。　わからない単語がいくつかでできても止まることなく読み進め、著者の考え、主張を正確に捉えることが大切です。
 
 

 
To get a band score of 7 it is always advisable to read various articles  especially for IELTS reading section which requires intelligence to get a high score. By doing so, you have to remember the new words or expressions that you learn from the texts to increase a good range of vocabulary. Moreover, paying attention to the grammar structure with complete understanding is helpful too especially to your writing.
 
If you already mastered the essential tools in reading, skimming and scanning, catching the main idea of the text is the third important key to get a high band. How to do this? Practice reading, reading and reading. If doing it rarely, it is impossible to easily catch the main ideas of the passages in a time limited test. It would be suggestive to practice reading test everyday and develop the skills of understanding the main idea of the passage. Intensive reading  is notably essential when you are asked tough questions or even sentences that require complete comprehension  such as true or false questions wherein a single word can change the meaning of the sentence.
 
A lot of IELTS takers who got a band score of 7 in Reading developed the skill of speed reading which is a plus point to this section. However, in a short passage of 500 words  as you read it too fast but you have to read it again, not to mention encountering 5 or more unfamiliar words, then there is no reason to do speed reading. Always remember that the most important thing in this section is to understand the main ideas and the details and remember them as much as you can. In addition, if there’s an extra time left and before you finish the reading section and answer the questions don’t forget to check or review your answers especially the missed items.
 
As the saying goes “practice makes perfect”is far no different to practice reading for the IELTS test. An eager one should be concentrating on the weak points and build up a strong character  of not giving up , and in no time the  band of 7 is bound to come your way.
 
Keep  up the good work!
 
 
QUESTION:
 

1. Aside from Australia, UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and USA in what country is IELTS also accepted  for academic admission?

 
a. Philippines
b. India
c. France

TOEFL Integrated Essay Tip # 3: IMPROVING READING SKILLS

by: Rose Angelie Lapina

オンライン英会話　　マイチューター

▮　総合ライティング―　リーディング力をつける！

IELTSライティングｰ　総合ライティングではパッセージを読んでその内容や著者の主張をまとめる能力が問われます。　「読む」ことと「理解する」ことは別の話です。　ここではパッセージを素早く理解しポイントをまとめる学習方法を紹介します。

In TOEFL Writing Integrated Task, reading is the first part of the exercise followed by listening. You are given 3 minutes to read a passage which is mostly about academic topics. Reading within 3 minutes is easy for most of us. However, reading and understanding is another story. Reading without comprehension is absolutely useless when answering the TOEFL Integrated Task. Reading comprehension is one of the skills that you need to be good at when taking the exam, so it is of utmost importance that you practice reading. Make it a habit to read textbooks, journals, academic passages, research articles, and encyclopaedias. Though you don’t need to know about any certain subjects, it would be useful if your familiar on how the academic materials are presented.

Basically, TOEFL evaluates your skills in succeeding in an American university or college, while some countries that speak English also use the TOEFL score as a pre-requisite for admission. Thus, you should focus on studying the language that you would normally hear in school. It would be very helpful to learn academic English, and one way to do that is through reading.

Now, let’s discuss about how you can improve your readingskills.

-TIPS-

1. To start, choose any article or topic that you find interesting to read. After few reading practices, choose subjects that are not familiar to you. Make it a point to read articles that are 300-400 words long.

2. Always have a pen and paper on hand while reading so you can easily take down valuable information, interesting phrases, or even difficult words.

2. Read aloud and be aware of your pronunciation and intonation. This helps you to slow down while reading, thus you can comprehend more.

3. Avoid distractions by finding a quiet and comfortable reading place where you could spend long hours of reading without any disturbance or discomfort.

4. Define vocabulary words ahead of time through pre-reading. That way, you can give meaning to uncommon words and you’ll understand the context better while reading.

5. Summarize what you just read based on your notes and review your answer by checking the article if you have covered all important information.

6. Re-read. Read the same articles over and over again to gain fluency and better comprehension.

7. Read daily. Yes, make it a habit to read, read, read!

Good luck!

THINGS TO REMEMBER DURING AN IELTS READING EXAM

Written/Edited by: Shanti Esther Bonachita

オンライン英会話　　マイチューター

▮　解答指示文に注意を払う！

後で後悔しないために解答指示文は十分気を付けて読んでください。　指示通りに書かないと得点でません。
IELTSリーディングセクションではひっかけ問題が多くでますので、ひっかけ問題のパターンがありますので、過去問で練習してください。
 

To avoid dissatisfaction during the test, here are some essential points you need to bare in mind when taking the IELTS-Reading section.

First and foremost, read the instructions carefully– a very important part of the IELTS-Reading test. It’s not ideal to skip this portion. Remember that the directions will tell you what exactly you need to do and how many words you should answer.

Secondly, understand the passage. Always make sure that you read the passage with good comprehension. It’s the same thing with the questions and always follow instructions carefully. As you read the title and subtitle from the beginning to end, you have to get the overview of a text before proceeding to the questions. If you do so, it’s more quick to process all the information and give good answers.

Thirdly, manage your time. It’s very important not to waste your time during the exam since a candidate is only given 20 minutes to answer all the questions. Bare in my mind not to get stuck on a single question, just leave it and get back to it later. Otherwise, if you are not sure of the answer, write them on the mark sheet using your pencil and return soon.

Further more, grammar counts. It is certainly the most important factor in IELTS. Even articles “a” or “the” matters. If you have problems with grammar just remember the basic sentence structure like simple and compound sentences and also be careful with singular/plural. If you want to get a higher score you can use the complex sentences. However, just remember two things: don’t write too little and not too much. Also, spelling matters. Like grammar, always be mindful of the spelling while writing your sentences. It can negatively affect your score and it’s not nice to lose points for ‘just’ incorrect spelling. Also, be extra aware of the words that you are copying in the text.

And most importantly, don’t Panic. Running out of time, encountering unfamiliar words and confusing passages can panic a candidate while taking the test. Take it easy and compose yourself, all the answers in the IELTS Reading section are in the passage.

Question:

What is the percentage of candidates who take the test to enter higher education in a foreign country?

a. 70%

b. 60%

c. 51%

TOEFL Integrated Essay Tip #3  – TYPING SKILLS

By: Rose Angelie Lapina

留学・ビジネス英語に強い　オンライン英会話　マイチューター

▮　タイピングスキルを磨け！

 
TOEFL iBT　ライティングは他のテストと違いパソコンでエッセイを書くことになります。　皆さんのタイピングスキルはいかがですか？　普段からパソコンを使っている方は問題ないとは思いますが、最近の若い方は、ケータイやスマホばかり使っていてパソコンのキーボードが苦手な人も多いと聞きます。

解答が頭に浮かんでもそれを正確に早くタイプできなければ高得点は望めません。

20分間で200語前後の文字を正確に打ち込まなければならないのですから、タイプスピードスキルは重要です。

できればブラインドタッチまで極めると良いでしょう。　自分のタイプしたエッセイをスクリーンで見ながら解答できるので安心して解答できます。

When preparing for TOEFL, there are many books that can help you on how to make a good response, however, there is almost none that discusses about Typing Skills. Little do test takers know, Typing is the one that can make or break your TOEFL score. No matter how good you are in making your answer and how perfect your essay response is, if you have bad typing skills, it may still lead you to getting a low score.
Why?
Because in TOEFL Integrated Essay, you are required to type your response on the computer. Typing is the only way to answer the task so it is very important that you have good typing skills. You need to have high accuracy and good speed. Accuracy means you need to spell every word perfectly, place every punctuation mark correctly, and arrange every the sentence grammatically right. On the other hand, speed means you need to type your response in time. You don’t have to be a fast typist but it is important that you submit your complete response on time.
So how do you achieve acceptable accuracy and speed? First of all, you need to be comfortable in using a computer and be familiar with how it works. These days, it seems that desktop and laptop computers have been replaced by smartphones and tablets. Most of the people are typing on a keyboard screen instead of using actual computer keyboards. Also, there are some people that rely on few fingers when typing, which makes typing speed slow. So before taking the TOEFL test, you need to consider improving your typing skills first.
 

How to Improve your Typing Skills

 
1. Sit comfortably with good posture. It can make you feel relaxed and focused. You’ll have higher energy level and will make your fingers rest correctly on the home keys.
2. Type with both hands and position your fingers correctly. Left hand fingers will have A, S, D, and F, while the right hand fingers will have for J, K, L, and ;.
3. Everytime you have to type something, try not to look at the keyboard. Keep your eyes on the monitor when typing and try to memorize the keys while thinking of what you have to type. Take short quick glances if needed.
4. Take free online typing tests and play typing games that will encourage speedy improvement of your skills. There are many free typing websites that can check your accuracy and speed, and have many typing drills on different types of levels.
5. Instead of always relying on tablets or smartphones, prefer using actual keyboard on desktop computers or laptops when browsing online, sending emails, typing documents, and connecting socially.
6. Be patient and practice, practice, practice.

TOEFL Writing Tip #２

Written/edited by Venus Montebon

 
留学・ビジネス英語に強い　　オンライン英会話　　マイチューター
 

▮　TOEFL　iBTとは？

 
TOEFL iB T  インターネット版　(Internet – Based Testing  ) TOEFL 試験です。　大学レベルの英語能力を測定するテストです。
リスニング、リーディング、スピーキング、ライティングの各スキルを組み合わせて、学術的な課題を遂行する能力も評価します。
世界全域で2700万人を超える人々が主に米国、カナダ、オーストラリアなど英語圏の留学を目指すために受験します。
 
 

Familiarize yourself with the TOEFL format
 
Most countries now offer the Internet based TOEFL (iBT). A few offer only the paper-based test (PBT). Make sure you find out which test you will be taking before you start studying for the TOEFL. You cannot choose to take the paper based test if your country offers the iBT. One reason people experience exam stress is because they don’t know what to expect before a test. Prevent stress on exam day by studying the format of the test in detail. ETS has very clear standards about the format of their test. This is why it is called a “standardized” test.
 

IBT Internet-based Test

Since its introduction in late 2005, the TOEFL iBT format has progressively replaced both the computer-based tests (CBT) and paper-based tests (PBT), although paper-based testing is still used in select areas. Although initially, the demand for test seats was higher than availability, and candidates had to wait for months, it is now possible to take the test within one to four weeks in most countries.^[4] The four-hour test consists of four sections, each measuring one of the basic language skills (while some tasks require integrating multiple skills) and all tasks focus on language used in an academic, higher-education environment. Note-taking is allowed during the TOEFL iBT test.
 

Paper-based Test

The TOEFL PBT test measures reading, listening, grammar and writing skills and is currently offered only in locations where testing via the Internet is not available.

1. Listening(30 – 40 minutes)

The Listening section consists of 3 parts. The first one contains 30 questions about short conversations. The second part has 8 questions about longer conversations. The last part asks 12 questions about lectures or talks.

2. Structure and Written Expression(25 minutes)

The Structure and Written Expression section has 15 exercises of completing sentences correctly and 25 exercises of identifying errors.

3. Reading Comprehension(55 minutes)

The Reading Comprehension section has 50 questions about reading passages.

4. Writing(30 minutes)

The Writing section is one essay with 250–300 words in average.
 
 
 
 
Question:
 
How long are scores valid?

1. 3 years
2. 1 year
3. 2 years

READING TECHNIQUES

Written/Edited by: Shanti Esther Bonachita

As you take the reading section, the IELTS test makers arrange tricky questions specifically to catch candidates who employ skimming and scanning techniques that make the student thinks that it is really difficult. However, scanning and skimming is not enough if you aim to get a band score of 6.5, 7.0, 7.5++. To be able to do this, one must read and understand the material, and use critical thinking to absorb the passage. Critical thinking in taking the IELTS must require the student to think clearly and critically about ideas and arguments. Through this, you will ‘train’ yourself to think carefully and understand what other people are trying write. Here are some steps to improve your thinking skills and to do this, as you read an article about something, think about the following questions…

• What is the purpose of the article? Is the writer trying to sell a product, persuade the reader about something, raise awareness, give instructions….

• What reasons does the writer give? What do I think about these reasons / Could I give better reasons?

• What examples does the author give? What do I think about these examples / Could I give a better example?

• What statistics does the author use? Are they effective?

• What ‘experts’ does the author introduce? Should I believe a professor from Oxford more than a politician from Berlin?

• If there is an experiment, are there enough samples? Was the experiment done in a thorough way?

• How does the author use language? Does he / she use ’bad’ when perhaps ‘awful’ would be better? For example “The Chernobyl was bad.”

By doing this, you are now evaluating and criticizing what people write and how they write it. If you keep practicing these steps, you will realize that it is easier to improve your views in a more critical way when you give answers. Also, you will also pay more attention to the language, as the writer uses language to build their ideas. It will help you give convincing answers from the questions, give valid reasons and use persuasive answers and get a high mark.

So, grab an article now from the net and search for news or magazine, go to the ‘opinion’ section. Read articles as many as you can applying the steps you’ve learned today. And observe how authors write their ideas whether they are specific or general in their opinions.

Enjoy reading!

Question:

Can one successfully study for the test by themself?

a. Yes

b. No

c. Maybe

TOEFL Writing Integrated Task     Tips ①

Written/edited by Rose

留学・ビジネス英語に強い　オンライン英会話　　マイチューター

▮　TOEFLライティング総合問題　　解答文章の書き方　

 IELTS　ライティング総合問題（Integrated Task)では、パッセージを読んだ後、レクチャーを約2分聴いた後で、レクチャーの内容を要約することと、それがどうのようにパッセージの内容と関連しているか（多くは異なる観点）をライティングで表現するテストです。　　

採点のポイントとなる文章の構成、質問に対して的確な答えになっているに注意してエッセイの書き方を示します。

文の構成（Organization)といいますが、一体どんなことを言っているのでしょう。日本でよく「起承転結」といいます。アメリカではIntroduction, body, conculusion (序論、本論、結論）といいます。TOEFLはアメリカのテストですから、こちらに従います。

1. INTRODUCTION:

   >Presents the topic of the essay. What the reading and listening are about.

   >Keep it brief, 1-2 sentences will do. Just give a general idea of what the topic is before getting into points of similarity or contradiction.

   Examples:

   If Contrasting ideas:

   “The author explains that ______ (main idea of the reading). The lecturer, however, suggests that ______ (main idea of the lecture).

   OR

   Adding information:

   “The author explains that ______ (main idea of the reading), and the lecturer suggests that ______ (main idea of the lecture).

   OR

   “Both the reading and the listening talk about ______.”

2. BODY:

   >Present the main points and supporting details/contrasting ideas on each point presented

   >the number of paragraphs depends on the number of main points and key details presented

   >Make sure to write accurate and important information

   USE: (Opposition) In contrast to, As opposed to, Directly/blatantly/clearly opposes, this point contradicts, It is the exact/polar opposite of, A conflicting statement, He/she denies this by, It is inconsistent with, on the other hand.

   (Similarity) Agrees with, It is consistent with, This supports/sustains, Offers further proof/arguments of the validity, He/she reinforces this idea by, Similarly, In the same manner, In the same context

   Also, while these connectors specifically address the “supporting” or “contrasting” themes, do not forget to use other such markers, such as: because, thus, hence, for instance, such as, besides, moreover, in addition, furthermore, however, as well as, first, second, third, etc.

3. Conclusion

   >some TOEFL books say it’s not necessary to include a conclusion. But just to be safe, add it if you still have time.

   >Rephrasing of the Introduction. 1-2 sentences long, a general concluding sentence restating what you said in your introduction with more specifics.

USE: in conclusion, in summary, to sum up

Examples: “In conclusion, the reading passage offers an overview of the French Revolution. In the listening, the professor explains three possible causes of the Revolution: government debt, heavy taxation, and social unrest.”

Here’s another:

“In summary, while the reading claims that the French Revolution was brought about by the emergence of Enlightenment principles, the professor disagrees. The professor suggests that the Revolution was a result of economic turmoil and social unrest.”

IELTSリーディング　Tips 7    

Written/Edited by: Shanti Esther Bonachita

 留学・ビジネス英語に強い　オンライン英会話　マイチューター

　▮　読む前に設問に集中する　！

IELTSリーディングセクションは英文読解力を試すだけのテストではありません。むしろ英文全部を読む必要がない問題も多いのです。　本文を読む前に必ず設問に目を通してください。　設問から本文のどこを読むべきかを知ることが大切です。

本、新聞、雑誌などを根気よく読み続けることで、知らぬ間に読解力は身についているはずです。　IELTSリーディングテストでは読解力に加え、速読テクニックである「スキャニング」と「スキミング」を試すテストとも言えます。

問題文を全部読むことよりも「スキャニング」と「スキミング」を使って重要な情報を素早く見つけ出すことをIELTSはむしろ評価するんです。

IELTSリーディングの問題は難解で長文です。　多くの受験者にとって全文を読むには時間が足りません。　また、全文を読む必要はありません。　　初めに設問に集中し、問題文のどこを読むべきかを知ることが大切なんです。　　設問から「スキャニング」「スキミング」を使い素早く解答を探し出してください。

IELTSリーディングで点数が低い方は特に設問に集中することです。　また、IELTSリーディングテストは設問のパターンもありますので事前に熟知してください。

After a severe reading of newspapers, magazines and books one must have improved the reading skills and speed. In this test, IELTS reading category does not asses your comprehension-not what you have understood, rather your skills in scanning and skimming.

The texts in IELTS are typically quite hard, so candidates spend as much time as possible reading the texts. One must focus on the question to avoid errors. Many candidates, especially for lower level, thinks that　skimming through is more helpful when reading the questions first to get an idea of what to pay attention to in the reading passage.

During the preparation you must train yourself first and practice an “open book” tests where you can see the answers as you do the questions. Here are some points to remember:

1. As advised, an IELTS taker must first read all the questions quickly to get an idea of what kind of information is required (whether scanning or skimming is needed). Focus exactly on what you are asked to do in ‘completion’ type questions. Make sure that you understand the questions and follow instructions carefully.

    

2. Underline words in the text in the exam. As you read the questions, use a pencil to underline important information such as dates, places and names. Do not try and read every word; remember, you are reading for a purpose and do not worry if there is a word that you do not understand – you may not need to use it.

    

3. Answer the questions one by one with the help of the underlined parts of the text. Having read the text once, you will find it easy to find specific information by scanning. If you do not know the answer to a question, attempt it but do not waste time; move quickly onto the next one.

    

4. Check your answers.

When you practice, read the passage, answer the questions, compare your answers to the answers and pay attention to the mistakes. You need to understand why you got wrong answers and try to remember them so that you won’t make the same mistakes.

Question:

Is IELTS test the most difficult English test?

a. Yes

b. No

c. Maybe